A celebration of Black sci-fi, horror, fantasy and anime is coming to Oakland’s Grand Lake Theatre on Nov. 6: AfroComicCon International Film Festival. The one-day event features a screening of 38 short films by independent directors, an Afrofuturist fashion show, stand-up comedy by Papp Johnson and live music by Oakland-based Congolese drummer Kiazi Malonga.
Among the films to look forward to is Benjamin MulHolland’s The Lake Merritt Monster, a beautifully shot, 16-minute sci-fi short about an Oakland teenager named Ollie whose mom gets snatched up by a mysterious beast lurking around Lake Merritt. Ollie and his lovable band of friends — who include a heavy-metal guitarist and two science whizzes — hunt for the monster in a thrilling tale that pulls in social commentary and bits of Filipino folklore.
Also on the program is Chris Cathern’s A-Train: New Beginnings, a dark comedy about The Boys superhero, who finds a second act as a rapper after a fall from grace. And Eric Dyson’s Sweet Santa Barbara Brown, also in the program, travels back to Southern California in the ’80s to tell the story of a basketball team’s dangerous encounter with the police after they’re wrongfully suspected of a jewelry store robbery.
The festival’s judges panel features filmmaker and Bay Area Black Comedy Competition producer Tony Spires, producer Lathan Hodge, director and Boyz n the Hood actor Kenneth A. Brown, video game voice actor and writer Jason E. Kelley (Deathloop) and actress and comedian Nikki Star.
In addition to the films and performances, AfroComicCon promises panel discussions on diverse storytelling, breaking into the industry and filmmaking technology.
AfroComicCon takes place Nov. 6, 4–10:30 p.m., at Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland. Tickets and details here.
